We spend a lot of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building comprises 90% of our days. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.
That’s since our residences are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling expenses, it’s not so good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.
When outside ventilation is insufficient, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants might irritate your allergies.
You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to help.
While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpeting, it could help purify the air traveling across your house.
And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be useful if you or a loved one has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.
There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the advantages so you can determine what’s correct for your house.
Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers
A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works with your heating and cooling unit to purify your complete home. Some kinds can clean on their own when your home comfort unit isn’t running.
What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?
Seek a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and provide the greatest filtration you can get, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.
HEPA filters are even more beneficial when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household vapors.
Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone might worsen respiratory troubles, even when released at minor concentrations.
The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a list of questions to ask when purchasing an air purifier.
- What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
- What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher figure means air will be cleaned more quickly.)
- How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I do that by myself?
- How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?
How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic recommends completing other procedures to limit your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.
- Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are heightened.
- Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you must do this work alone, consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and change your clothes once you’re finished.
- Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
- Turn on air conditioning while at home or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s home comfort system.
- Equalize your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
- Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring materials for lowering indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.
Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements
Want to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 918-682-8238 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the best equipment for your house and budget.